Machine



(No Model.) 4 Sheets-Sheet 1.

, F. L. DOW.

AUTOMATIC GIRGULAR KNITTING MACHINE. No. 465,842. Patented Dec. 29,1891.

NiTNE55E5: I INVENIII (No Model.) 4 Sheets--Sheet 2.

. F. L. DOW. AUTOMATIC CIRCULAR KNITTING MACHINE. No. 465,842. aPatented Dec. 29, 1891.

WiTNEEEEE INVENTUFQ (No Model.) 4 Sheets-Sheet 3.

F. L. DOW. AUTOMATIC CIRCULAR KNITTING MACHINE. No. 465,842. PatentedDec. 29, 1891.

WiTNEESES I INVFNTUW y gggm Q%JX9M (No Model.) 4 Sheets-Sheet 4.

P. L. DOW.

AUTOMATIC CIRCULAR KNITTING MACHINE;

ted Dec;29,1891,

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

FRANK L. DOvV, OF ROCHESTER, NE\V YORK, ASSIGNOR TO THE ROCHESTERIIOSIERY COMPANY, OF SAME PLACE.

AUTOMATIC CIRCULAR-KNITTING MACHINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N 0. 465,842, datedDecember 29, 1891. Application filed October 7, 1887. Serial No.251,782. (No model.)

To ctZZ whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, FRANK L. DOW, a resident of the city of Rochester,in the county of Monroe and State of New York, have invented certain newand usefullmprovements in Automatic Circular-Knitting Machines; and I dohereby declare that the following is a full, clear,and exact descriptionof the invention, that will enable others skilled in the art to which itappertains to make and use the same, reference being had to theaccompanying drawings, and to the letters of reference marked thereon,which form a part of this specification.

Similar letters refer to similar parts in the several figures therein.

My invention relates to improvements in knitting-machines; and itconsists of the novel construction and combination of parts, hereinafterdescribed, and pointed out in the claims, including as a special featuremechanisms for widening anc narrowing in knitting the heels and toes ofstockings.

The objects of the invention are fully set forth in connection with thefollowing description.

Figure lot the drawings is a rear elevation of the machine. Fig.2 is abottom plan view of the needle-cylinder detached. Fig. 3 is a horizontalsection taken centrally and longitudinally of the shaft D, the shaftbeing shown in elevation. Fig.4 is a top plan view of the machine withsome of the parts, as the needle and the cam-cylinder, removed. Fig. 5is a central vertical transverse section of the machine, taken on thebroken line :0 a; in

Fig. 4:. Fig. 6 is an end elevation of the machine. Fig. '7 is a centralvertical section of the needle and cam-cylinders, also of thesupporting-table, taken at the broken line y y in Fig. 4E. Figs. 8 and 9are elevations of the upper and lower cams in the cam-cylinder foroperating the short and long needles and showing the switches connectedtherewith.

Fig.10 is a plan view of the cam-setting slide detached and straightenedto present a flat surface. Figs. ll and 12 are transverse sectionstaken, respectively, at the broken lines 00 0c and y y in Fig. 0. i

The bed-plate A of the machine is provided with the uprights A and A onthe top of which rests the table A which supports the needle-cylinder l3and the cam-cylinder C. The table is provided with a central annularbearing a, in the form of a ring, adapted to support the cam-cylinderrevoluble thereon and held in place by the downwardly-projecting annularguide-flange (L The table is provided with an opening 0;, Fig. 7,interiorly of the bearing-ring, to permit of the downward passage of theknitted fabric, and with the interiorly-projecting flange ct just insidethe ring a, which forms the seat for supporting the needle-cylinder. Thecam-cylinder is provided with an outwardly-projecting annular flange aprovided with gear-teeth a", adapted to mesh with the teeth in the bevelgear wheels E and E, which project up through the openings a in thetable and are revolved thereby in either direction by other I power, aswill be fully explained hereinafter. The cam-cylinder is held down toits seat by the plates a", screwed to the table and overlapping thetoothed flange shown in Fig. at only. The needle-cylinder is providedexteriorly with needle-slots B, B and B individually extendedlongitudinally of the eyl inder and in series around the cylinder atapproximately equidistant intervals. These slots are each provided witha needle, only two of which are showna long one B anda short one B, Fig.7.

As all the long needles are alike and all the short ones also, and asthe stitches are formed in the usual well-known manner, it is not deemednecessary to show the needles elsewhere.

The needles are each provided with a shoulder B, which follows itsrespective cam C or C in the cam-cylinder as the latter is revolved 0about the needle-cylinder in the usual wellknown manner to give theneedles successivel y a vertically vibratory movement to take the yarnfrom the carrier C secured to the cam-cylinder or an upright thereon. 95

The operation of my improved machine in knitting the leg of the stockingis not unlike that of any circular-knitting machine or other machinesfor knitting stockings. The camcylinder is revolved continuously aroundthe I00 needle-cylinder in one direction to the left until the point inthe fabric is reached where it is desired to commence the heel. At thisrevolution of thecam-cylinderhalf-way round,

draw up the next needle on one side of the cylinder contiguous to thosealready drawn up and revolve the cylinder back one revolution to theright, where it was stopped, and the next needle on the side of thecylinder opposite to the needle first singly drawn up was drawn up andthe cylinder revolved forward one revolution, and the next succeedingneedle to the right of the first singly-drawnup needle was drawn up, thecylinder revolved to the right another revolution, and the succeedingneedle to the left of the second singlydrawn-up needle drawn up, and soon, the cam-cylinder being reciprocally revolved in opposite directionsand the successive needles successively drawn up out of engagement withtheir actuating-cam until a strip of fabric gradually diminishedin-width was projected from the cylindrical portion forming the legsufiiciently far to form the heel, after which the needles thussuccessively drawn up were successively in inverse order restored toengagement with their actuating-cam, the cylinder being given arevolution reciprocally after the restoration of each needle. Atter allthe needles had been restored to action continuous revolutions in onedirection were imparted to the cylinder, as in knitting the leg untilthe operation was repeated in knitting the toe.

When needles are successively removed from action, as above described,or otherwise, in knitting fabric, the process is called narrowing, andwhen needles are successively restored or brought into action. theprocess is called widening.

The entire operation of knitting the heels was comparatively slow andirksome, requiring careful and skilled attention. One of the objects ofmy invention is to obviate the necessity of drawing upthat half of theneedles which-remains idle during the operation of narrowing andwidening. I accomplish this object by operating the needles on one sideof the needle-cylinder by a separate cam 0 the operative position ofwhich can be easily and quickly changed from an active to apassiveposition relatively to the needles, so that a complete revolution of thecam-cylinder would not actuate any of these needles when the cam is in apassive position. As will be seen from an inspection of Figs. 7, 8, and9, this cam C occupies the upper part of the cam-cylinder, while cam Ooccupies the lower part. One-half the needles are made shorter than theother half and are actuated by the upper cam. The cam C is shown in anactive position in Fig. 9 and in a passive position in Fig. 8. Thechange is effectedjby means of a slide 0 on the outside of thecam-cylinder, which is provided with a thumb-piece C and with twodiagonal slots 0 and C The slide is connected with the movable parts 0and G in the cam-groove by means of rivets or screws 0 which passthrough the diagonal slots and through vertical slots 0 in the wall ofthe cam-cylinder and are secured to the movable parts, as shown. Theslide 0 is retained in the same horizontal plane by contiguousguide-flanges 0 secured to the cylinder, and a movement of the slide inone direction raises the part C from the position shown in Fig. 9 tothat shown in Fig. 8, and drops the part C from the position shown inFig. 9 to that shown in Fig. 8. A movement of the slide in the oppositedirection restores the movable parts to the position shown in Fig 9.When the movable parts are in the position shown in Fig. 9, theshoulders of the needles pass over the part 0 and beneath the part CWhen in the position shown in Fig. 8, they pass beneath part 0 and overpart 0 Half the needles employed are short ones and are actuated by thiscam G They are the needles which remain idle while the heel is beingknitted. It is obvious, therefore, that when that point is reached inthe leg of the stocking where it is desired to commence narrowing forthe heel this needle-cam will be thrown out of action at once by asingle movement of the switch-slide G which renders the cam C passive.

The position of the respective needles will be readily understood uponinspection of Fig. 2, which is a plan of the bottom of theneedlecylinder, the heavy radial short lines indicating the position ofthe needle-slots. I have shown eighty-four slots in all; but a greateror less number may be used to accommodate a greater or less number ofneedles. The forty-two on the lower half (markedB contain the shortneedles B which are actuated by cam 0 The next fourteen deep slots oneach side (marked B) contain the long needles, which are successivelythrown out of and into action in narrowing and widening, as will be morefully explained, and the intermediate fourteen (marked B contain thelong needles which are continuously employed throughout the entireoperation of knitting the stocking.

As a means for reciprocally revolving the cam-cylinder I make use of therotary shaft D, supported in suitable bearings at each end, formed inthe ends of the bracket-arms D and D supported, respectively, by theuprights A and A, or projections therefrom and employed to communicatethe continuous revoluble movements to the caincylinder. The

shaft is provided with a hand-wheel D fixed thereon; also, with adriving and loose pulley D and D adapted to be connected with a motor bya belt, and with gear-wheels D and and D having hubs fitting looselyupon said shaft; also, with clutch-heads D fixed upon said shaft andadapted to engage with similar clutch-heads on the hubs D of thegearwheels D and D also, with cams D and D fixed thereon, and witheccentrics D and The shaft is adapted to slide longitudinally in itsbearings. The gear-wheels D and D are prevented from partaking of thelongitudinal movements of the shaft by means of the forks D secured tothe shaft D by set-Screws, as D. (Shown in Fig. 5 only.) The forks restin the grooves D in the hubs D". The gear-wheel D engages with thegearwheel E,fixed upon the hub E of the beveled gear-wheel E revolubleon a j on rnalFfi, fixed to the upright A, as by nut E The gearwheel Dengages with the gear-wheel E secured to the hub of gear-wheel E,revoluble on journal E secured to upright A by nut E as appears in Fig.

I have before explained that a revoluble motion may be communicated tothe camcylinder in either direction through the eugagement of thetoothed flange (t thereon with the gear-wheels E and E. The shaft Dbeing rotated continuously in one direction,if it is forcedlongitudinally to the right, so that the end of its fixed clutch memberD contiguous to clutch member D engages with the latter, as shown inFigs. 1 and l, the loose gear-wheel D becomes active and drives Wheels Eand E to revolve the cam-cylinder to the right or in the direction ofthe hands of a watch, and if the shaft is forced longitndinally in theopposite direction, so that the end of its fixed clutch membercontiguous to the clutch member D engages with the latter, as shown inFig. 3, the loose gearwheel D becomes active and drives wheels E and Eto revolve the can1-cylinder in the opposite. direction, or to the left,the loose wheel D becoming passive on the disengagement of the clutch Dand D, from which it is apparent that it is only necessary tocommunicate a longitudinal reciprocatory movement to the shaft to givethe'cam-cylinder a reciprocatory revoluble movement. As a means forcommunicating the movements automatically, I provide the twooppositely-inclined cams D and D of different diameters so that theinclined flanges b and b revolve about the shaft at different distancesfrom the axial line of the shaft. The flanges Z) Z) of the cams engagewith the head 11 on the upper end of the bar 12 which is adapted toslide vertically in a slideway b fixed upon the frame-work of themachine. The lower end of the slide-bar rides upon the toothed camwheelF, which is secured to the ratchetwheel F. The two wheels are revolubleupon a pivot secured to the frame and are revolved by the pawl F carriedby the arm F turning upon pivot F and connected 1 with the eccentric Dby the pitman F The throw of the eccentric D is adapted to revolve theratchet-wheel one notch at every rotation of the shaft. As will be seenby inspection of Fig. 6, the toothed wheel F has onlyone-half the numberof teeth that the ratchet-wheel has, and that the teeth (shown by dottedlines in Fig. 6) each present an inclined surface toward the slide-bar,so that during one series of alternate periods of rotation of the shaftthe slide-bar rests in a space between two teeth, and. during the otherseries of alternate periods of rotation of the shaft the slide-bar restson top of a tooth. When the bar rests between two teeth, as shown inFig. 1, its head I) occupies a position below and without the field ofthe cam D and just within the field of the cam D; but when the barmounts the tops of the teeth in wheel F it is lifted above the field ofcam D and within the field of cam D, as shown by the dotted lines inFig. l. lit is obvious, therefore, that the head b will be given avertically-reciprocatory movement, which withdraws it from the field ofone of the cams and thrusts it into the field of the other at everycomplete rotation of the shaft D. The shaft is designed to rotate to theleft, as viewed from the left end facing the hand-Wheel D If the head bis now forced into the .field of cam D the inclined flange bstrikes thecon- I tiguous end of the head and causes the shaft to slidelongitudinally in its bearings from the position shown in Figs. 1 and 4and that shown in Fig. 3, and when the head drops again at the nextrotation of the shaft it enters the field of the cam D and its inclinedflange b, engaging the contiguous end of the head, forces the shaftlongitudinally in the opposite direction to the position shown in Figs.1 and 4-.

As a means for accomplishing the remaining object of my invention andfor disengaging a portion of the needles successively from theiractuating-cam in narrowing and engaging them again in widening, I makeuse of a pawldriven cam or cams to actuate bellcranks, which severallyengage with the use dies to be acted upon to automatically effect theirengagement and disengagement with their actuating-cam. The needle-slotsB in the cylinderfourteen on each of the opposite sides-are made deeperat their lower ends, as shown in Figs. 2 and '7, and coiled springs Sare provided, attached to the wall of the cylinder and resting on thestuds B, said springs serving to press the needles out so that theirshoulders will engage with theiractuating-cam. The needle projects downa little below the bottom of the supporting-cylinder, as shown in Fig.7, into a slotted frame d, having as many slots cl as there are needlesto be acted upon-that is, fourteen (more or less) in each of the twooppositely-located frames. The bearing-ring a is partly cut away toreceive the frames, as shown. The frames are secured to the table A bymeans of the screws S Each slot in the frame contains a bell-crank dpivoted at d to the frame. The needles project down into the slots toengage With the upper vertical arms of the bellcranks, while the lowerhorizontal arms of the cranks are each engaged by a rod 01*, passingthrough an aperture in the bottom of the frame, a rod for each crank.The rods pass down below the table through small apertures d in theguide-plate cl to the cam-levers or rod-lifters 61 one for each rod,resting upon and supported by these cam-levers, as shown in Fig. 5. Thecam-levers are pivoted at one end upon a common rod (1 extendinglongitudinally of the machine and supported at their other ends by alifting-cam cylinder g, mounted upon an axle g, which has a bear ing ateach end in the machine-frame. The surface of the lifting-cam cylinder gis provided with a countersunk surface, starting from about thelongitudinal center on one side and extending step by step in fourdirections toward the opposite side of the cylinder and toward its ends,substantially as shown, the opposite side (not shown in Fig. 1) beingsubstantially the same as the side therein shown. WVhile knitting plaincircular work, as the leg of a stocking, the cam-levers at rest in thecountersink, as shown in Fig. 1, and the bell-cranks remain idle, asshown by the solid lines in Fig. 7; but when it is desired to throw thefirst needle out of engagement with its actuating-cam to commence thenarrowing process the cam-cylinder g is rotated one step to the left, asviewed in Fig. '5, which causes the end-lever d to slide up the firststep d to the position shown by the dotted lines in Fig. 5, which forcesthe rod upward to operate its bell-crank and push the firstnarrowing-needle back into its slot and the needle-shoulder out of itscam-groove, as shown by the dotted lines in Fig. 7. By rotating thecam-cylinder another step to the left the first step on the opposite endof cam-cylinder g lifts the end cam-lever on the other end of theseries, which throws the first narrowing-needle on the opposite side ofthe cylinderout of engagement with its actuating-cam by means of itsbellcrank in the manner before explained, and so on, a needle first oneside and then on the other being thrown out of engagement as thecam-cylinder g is rotated until the cam has been rotated half-way round,when all the camlevers have been lifted to the higher plane and all thenarrowing-needles thrown out of engagement.

It will be observed in Fig. 5 that the steps (1 on the right-hand sideof the cylinder are inclined, which permits the cam-levers to slideeasily up from the lower to the higher plane, while on the opposite sidea vertical ledge is presented as the cam-levers drop by gravity from thehigher to the lower plane as the cam is rotated the other half-way roundto release the bell-cranks and permit the coil-springs to force theneedles into engagement again with their actuating-cam, which is donesuccessively in the widening process and in the inverse order byrotating the cam gstep by step, the same as before described. It shouldalso be observed that the steps on one end of the cam-cylinder g areranged in positions opposite the spaces between the several steps on theopposite end of the cam-cylinder, so that a cam-lever is raised orlowered first on one end and then on the other end of the series, whichthrows the needles out of and into engagement in the same order, firstone on one side of the needle-cylinder and then one on the oppositeside. The steps are preferably so arranged that just after the lastneedle is thrown out of engagement in the narrowing process the sameneedle is thrown into engagement in the widening process.

The mechanism for rotating the cam-cylinder g consists of aratchet-Wheel K, fixed upon the shaft 9 and adapted to be driven by apawl K, pivoted to the lever-arm K fixed upon one end of a shaft Krotary in sleeve K fixed upon the machine-frame, the other end of theshaft being provided with a leverarm K connected by link K with theeccentric D upon the driving-shaft D.

It is evident from the foregoing that the ratchet-wheel K will be drivenone notch or tooth at each rotation of the driving-shaft. There are asmany teeth on the ratchet-wheel as there are steps on'the cam-cylinderg, in-

cluding the steps onboth ends, so that'during' The eccentrics D and Dare made to rotate with the driving-shaft by means of a feather andgroove in the shaft and sleeve D the sleeve permitting the shaft toslide longitudinally therein.

The operation of the machine may be briefly stated as follows: Both thepawls F and K are disengaged from the respective. ratchetwheels and thecam-cylinder g rotated to a position such that the cam-levers d are alldown upon the lower plane of their actuating-cam. Power is then appliedto the driving-shaft, which causes the needle-operating cam-cylinder torevolve continuously in one direction, like any well-knowncylinder-machine, until a point'is reached where it is desired tocommence the operation of narrowing in forming the heel. At this pointthe two pawls'are thrown into engagement with their respectiveratchet-wheels and the cam C changed to a passive form. The nextrotation of the driving-shaft rotates the camcylinder 9 sufficiently toraise the first ca1n-. lever cl in the series and disengage the firstone of the fourteen narrowing and widening needles on one side of theneedle-cylinderfor example, the first one on the right in the IIO slotsB, as shown in Fig. 2at the same time the ratchet-wheel F is rotated onenotch, which lifts the slide-bar and head 1) into the field of anengaging-cam, which reciprocates the shaft D and gives the cam-cylinderG a reciprocating movement. The next rotation of the driving-shaftdisengages the needle in the first slot B on the left-hand side of theneedle-cylinder as viewed in Fig. 2 and again reverses the rotarymovements of the camcylinder 0, and so on until the fourteen needles oneach side in slots 13 have been thrown out of engagement, and just afterthe last one is thrown out of engagement the one last thrown out ofengagement is thrown in again, and successively all the others, one ateach rotation of the driving-shaft. hen the last needle is thrown intoengagement, the pawls are both disengaged and the cam (J changed to itsactive form, whereupon the forty-two needles in slots 13*, which havebeen out of action during the operation of narrowing and widening, againbecome active and the work goes 011 the same as when knitting the leg.The needles in the slots B remain in action during thewhole operation,being actuated by cam C, which may be of any known form to actuate theneedles while traveling in either direction.

I have shown two parts 0 and (1 pivoted to the shell of the cylinder at0 The position assumed by the parts when the needleshanks pass through,as from right to left, is shown in Fig. 8, and the position assumed whenpassingin the opposite direction isshown in Fig. 9.

Having described my invention, I do not claim simply and broadlynarrowing and widening needles operated automatically by the machine,nor do I claim, broadly, two sets of needles, one long and the othershort, and operated by separate cams, as I am aware that such have beenused in striped work.

hat I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In a circular-knitting machine, the combination of a needle-cylinderprovided with two sets of needles, one set short for doing circular workonly, the other long for doing circular work and narrowing and widening,and a cam-cylinder provided with two independent cam-grooves with whichsaid sets of needles respectively connect, the groove op erating theshort set having changeable switches by which said needles can bestopped while the long ones produce narrowing and widening, asdescribed.

2. In a circular-knitting machine, the combination, with thecam-cylinder for operating the needles provided with a gear at its lowerend, of two sets of gearing connected with said cam cylinder gear onopposite sides thereof, and a longitudinally-shifting driving-shaftprovided with clutch-heads which. engage alternately withclutch-heads ofthe loosely-running gears on opposite sides, whereby when the shaft isthrown to its extreme position in opposite directions reciprocatingmotion will be imparted to the cam-cylinder to operate the narrowing andwidening needles, as herein shown and described.

3. In a circular-knitting machine, the combination of theneedle-actuating cam-cylinder 0, provided with the gear a, the sidegears E E, engaging therewith, the spu r-gearsE E fast with the sidegears E E the exterior spur-gears D D engaging with the gears E E thedriving-shaftD,passinglooselythrough the hubs of gears D D and capableof reciprocating endwise movement, and the fixed clutch-heads D D on theshaft engaging alternately with corresponding clutch-heads on the endsof the hubs of the loose gears D D as shown and described, and for thepurpose specified.

4:. The combination of a driving-shaft capable of reciprocating endwisemovement, two cams fixed thereto, of different diameters and facing eachother, a vertically-movable bar located between the cams, and thetoothed cam-wheel for raising and lowering the bar to bring the cams inalternate contact therewith, as and for the purpose specified.

5. In a circular-knitting machine, the combination of the driving-shaftcapable of reciprocating endwise movement, the fixed cams on the shaftof unequal diameters, the vertically movable bar between the cams, thetoothed cam-wheel for operating the bar, the ratchet-wheel connectedwith the toothed camwheel and operating the same, the jointed armsconnected with an eccentric on the driv-.

ing-shaft, and the pawl attached to the pivot of said arms engaging withthe ratchet-wheel and operating the same, as described.

6. In a circular-knitting machine, the combination, with theneedle-cylinder provided with two sets of needles, one long and theother short, and with the cam-cylinder provided with two separateca1n-groovesfor operating the same, of a set of springs for throwing thelong needles into engagement with their cam-groove, a set of bell-crankson the opposite side for throwing said needles out of engagement withtheir cam-groove, a set of rods in contact with the bell'cranks, a setof pivoted fingers on which the lower ends of said rods rest, and acylinder provided with two sets of steps, forming cams on which the freeends of the fingers rest, as herein shown and described.

IIO

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set.

my hand this 24th day of September, 1887.

FRANK L. now. Witnesses:

Gno. A. MosHER, OHAs. L. ALDEN.

